The Government has published a new Procurement Policy Note 04/20 entitled “Recovery and Transition from COVID-19”.
It sets out information and guidance for public bodies on payment of their suppliers to ensure service continuity during the current coronavirus outbreak. It builds on PPN 02/20 and signals a move to transition planning out of the COVID-19 situation.
Effective from 01 July to 31 October, it requires all contracting authorities to
- Review their contract portfolio, including where they are providing any contractual relief due to COVID-19 and, if appropriate to maintain delivery of critical services, continue or commence measures in line with PPN 02/20.
- Work in partnership with their suppliers and develop transition plans to exit from any relief as soon as reasonably possible. This should include agreeing contract variations if operational requirements have changed significantly.
- Work in partnership with their suppliers, openly and pragmatically, during this transition to ensure contracts are still relevant and sustainable and deliver value for money over the medium to long term.
- Continue to pay suppliers as quickly as possible, on receipt of invoices or in accordance with pre-agreed milestone dates, to maintain cash flow and protect jobs
The full PPN is available
here.
